Thursday, 23 February 2023

Adjournment

Ingrid STITT (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Early Childhood and Pre-Prep, Minister for Environment) (17:23): I move:

That the house do now adjourn.

E-cigarettes

Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (17:23): (59) My adjournment matter this evening is for the Minister for Health in relation to the increasing rates of vaping in the community, especially by children. As you are aware, I raised this issue a number of times going into the state election last year, and what the Liberals and Nationals were putting forward was to crack down on illegal sales of vaping products to children – a really important issue that the government has failed to address. Key stakeholders such as the AMA, Quit, VicHealth, the Cancer Council and the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, amongst many others, are calling for tighter regulations on vaping in response to the surging use of e-cigarettes. I know some people will use e-cigarettes, but this is increasing, and I am particularly concerned about those children who are taking them up, some at a very young age. While selling vapes to children is illegal and products containing nicotine are only available to adults at pharmacies with a prescription, lack of enforcement and high demand are driving a booming black market, with retailers openly flouting the law. Marketing of vaping devices is clearly aimed at targeting children, especially vulnerable children, and as I have just previously mentioned, some at a very young age are taking up vaping. Because they have got bright packaging and sweet flavours, they are very attractive to kids.

Recent media reports are highlighting alarming trends, including widespread vaping by students as young as 12 who are becoming addicted, and just recently it was reported that the Department of Education has been alerted to dozens of serious vaping incidents in schools, sometimes calling for police and ambulances to attend. This is completely unacceptable. The government has been asleep at the wheel. They need to be educating and doing as much as they can to prevent dangerous vaping being taken up by such large numbers of kids. Experts are warning that the long-term consequences are extremely dangerous. As well as nicotine, vaping devices have been found to include a dangerous mix of toxic and harmful chemicals like formaldehyde and heavy metals. There is also evidence that vaping triples the risk of taking up smoking by non-smokers who vape.

It is a gateway to smoking, there is no doubt, especially among young children, who are easily influenced. The AMA has described vaping as a gateway to smoking. So it is not just me, it is the AMA who is calling this out. Easy access to cheap, illegally imported nicotine products is creating a new generation of young people addicted to nicotine and exposed to a range of harmful chemicals which pose significant health risks. The action I seek is for the government to take immediate steps to tackle these illegal retail practices to prevent this unfolding health crisis from deepening and to assist in securing the health of a generation of young children who are looking at vaping as something that they want to do.